--- name: "Phyllis Somerville" canonical: "https://film.one/person/phyllis-somerville" roles: ["Actor"] born: "12 December 1943" died: "16 July 2020" reviewed_on_fi1m: 2 average_as: "actor" average_over: 1 updated: "2026-09-20T07:20:13.790095+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Phyllis Somerville Actor. Born 12 December 1943 in Iowa City, Iowa, USA. Died 16 July 2020. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 12 December 1943, Iowa City, Iowa, USA - **Died:** 16 July 2020 - **Also known as:** Phyllis Jeanne Somerville - **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 acting, 1 other - **Fi1m score by decade:** 2000s 64 (1), 2020s 78 (1) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_Somerville, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q439105, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0813902/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17184 ## Streaming the US now - **Pluto TV:** [*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*](https://film.one/film/the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button.md) (64) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Biography Phyllis Somerville (12 December 1943 – 16 July 2020) was an American stage, film and television actress. Born in Iowa City, Iowa, she graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in English in 1966 after studying theatre. She began her career on stage and made her Broadway debut as Wilma in the 1974 musical *Over Here!*. Her screen credits include the role of May McGorvey in *Little Children* (2006), Grandma Fuller in *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* (2008), Marlene in the series *The Big C* (2010–2013) and Lady Ray in *Outsiders* (2016–2017). She also appeared in *Stoker* (2013), *The Sopranos* (1999) and, posthumously, *Mare of Easttown* (2021). Somerville maintained a long career of supporting and ensemble roles across theatre and screen until her death in New York City. *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nytimes.com.* ## On Fi1m (2) ### Performed in (1) — the average rests on these - *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* (2008), Fi1m 64, as Grandma Fuller — [page](https://film.one/film/the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *Mare of Easttown* (2021), Fi1m 78, In Memory Of — [page](https://film.one/tv/mare-of-easttown.md) ## Complete filmography (59) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Mare of Easttown* (2021), series, as Betty Carroll · In Memory Of — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/mare-of-easttown.md) - *Poms* (2019), as Helen - *Diane* (2019), as Ina - *Our Souls at Night* (2017), as Ruth - *One Fall* (2016), as Mrs.Barrows - *Detours* (2016), as Annie Delaney - *Impastor* (2015), series, as Ester Strumble - *Stuff* (2015), as Ginger - *3rd Street Blackout* (2015), as Susan Sussman - *Marvel's Daredevil* (2015), series, as Mrs. Vistain - *Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt* (2015), series, as Meemaw — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt.md) - *Surviving Family* (2014), as Mary Giaccone - *The Double* (2014), as Simon's Mother - *The Blacklist* (2013), series, as Skye Kincaid - *Stoker* (2013), as Mrs. McGarrick - *Forgetting the Girl* (2012), as Ruby - *Elementary* (2012), series, as Miriam Berg - *The Mighty Macs* (2011), as Sister Sister - *A Bird of the Air* (2011), as Ivy Campbell - *Unforgettable* (2011), series, as Ruth - *Weakness* (2010), as Lenore - *Blue Bloods* (2010), series, as Beth Del Rio - *The Big C* (2010), series, as Marlene - *The Brooklyn Heist* (2009), as Connie - *The Good Wife* (2009), series, as Louise Nolfi — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-wife.md) - *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button* (2008), as Grandma Fuller — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button.md) - *Life on Mars* (2008), series, as Mrs. Raimes - *Fringe* (2008), series, as Alice Merchant — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/fringe.md) - *Dead*Line* (2008), as Edie - *Restless* (2008), as Sheila - *Broken English* (2007), as Psychic - *Lucky You* (2007), as Pawnbroker - *Little Children* (2006), as May McGorvey - *Just Like the Son* (2006), as Judge - *Messengers* (2004), as Metal Detector Lady - *Chappelle's Show* (2003), series, as Old Lady #2 - *Revolution #9* (2002), as Judge Hathaway - *CSI: Miami* (2002), series, as Louise Russo - *Swimfan* (2002), as Aunt Gretchen Christopher - *Law & Order: Criminal Intent* (2001), series, as Louise Politano, Mrs. McLeish - *The Sleepy Time Gal* (2001), as Rebecca's Adoptive Mother - *Bringing Out the Dead* (1999), as Mrs. Burke - *Third Watch* (1999), series, as Fran - *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Mrs. Moss - *Just One Time* (1999), as Scratchy-voiced Woman - *Simply Irresistible* (1999), as Ruth - *The Sopranos* (1999), series, as Brenda — Fi1m 94, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-sopranos.md) - *Curtain Call* (1998), as Gladys - *Better Living* (1998), as Nellie - *The Impostors* (1998), as Woman at Bar with Pills - *Above Freezing* (1998), as Vivian - *Sex and the City* (1998), series, as Gertrude Morgan - *Montana* (1998), as Waitress - *Trouble on the Corner* (1997), as Crazy Woman - *New York News* (1995), series, as Edith Schemer - *Homicide: Life on the Street* (1993), series, as Faye Ann Ralston — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/tv/homicide-life-on-the-street.md) - *Leap of Faith* (1992), as Dolores - *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Ms. Maltese, Kristen Cameron — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md) - *Arthur* (1981), as Saleslady ## Gallery - ![Phyllis Somerville](https://film.one/media/person/498071/gallery-d5794a3d3794.jpg) Phyllis Somerville — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Phyllis_Somerville_Lucky_You_2007_Shankbone.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Phyllis Somerville at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Lucky You.](https://film.one/media/person/498071/gallery-306e397bb2af.jpg) Phyllis Somerville at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival premiere of Lucky You. — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Phyllis_Somerville_Lucky_You_2007_Shankbone_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Phyllis Somerville by David Shankbone (2007)](https://film.one/media/person/498071/gallery-c55fc5753f70.jpg) Phyllis Somerville by David Shankbone (2007) — David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Phyllis_Somerville_by_David_Shankbone.jpg/1280px-Phyllis_Somerville_by_David_Shankbone.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Phyllis Somerville](https://film.one/media/person/498071/gallery-deb2f8025fc4.jpg) Phyllis Somerville — Image via TMDB - ![Phyllis Somerville](https://film.one/media/person/498071/gallery-145a1e262aca.jpg) Phyllis Somerville — Image via TMDB - ![Phyllis Somerville](https://film.one/media/person/498071/gallery-e9d6e603803e.jpg) Phyllis Somerville — Image via TMDB - ![Phyllis Somerville](https://film.one/media/person/498071/gallery-f94a11433141.jpg) Phyllis Somerville — Image via TMDB - ![Phyllis Somerville](https://film.one/media/person/498071/gallery-3bc7911eefb1.jpg) Phyllis Somerville — Image via TMDB - ![Phyllis Somerville](https://film.one/media/person/498071/gallery-9a572f78ad14.jpg) Phyllis Somerville — Image via TMDB --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/phyllis-somerville